The idea that dietary supplements can improve athletic performance is popular among athletes. The use of antioxidant supplements is widespread among endurance athletes because of evidence that free radicals contribute to muscle fatigue during prolonged exercise. Furthermore, interest in vitamin D supplementation is increasing in response to studies indicating that vitamin D deficiency exists in athletic populations. This review explores the rationale for supplementation with both antioxidants and vitamin D and discusses the evidence to support and deny the benefits of these dietary supplements. The issue of whether athletes should use antioxidant supplements remains highly controversial. Nonetheless, at present there is limited scientific evidence to recommend antioxidant supplements to athletes or other physically active individuals. Therefore, athletes should consult with their health care professional and/or nutritionist when considering antioxidant supplementation. The issue of whether athletes should supplement with vitamin D is also controversial. While arguments for and against vitamin D supplementation exist, additional research is required to determine whether vitamin D supplementation is beneficial to athletes. Nevertheless, based upon the growing evidence that many athletic populations are vitamin D deficient or insufficient, it is recommended that athletes monitor their serum vitamin D concentration and consult with their health care professional and/or nutritionist to determine if they would derive health benefits from vitamin D supplementation.

Caffeine is another one of those compounds about which there is endless argument and debate. Some feel that it is evil, too much causes all manners of problems, and should be eliminated completely. Others like me feel that the only problem with caffeine is when there isn’t enough of it.

DNL has been the subject of much debate for years and many readers have probably seen it claimed that ‘carbs in excess of needs simply get converted to fat and stored’. This is true if you’re looking at rats, mice and hamsters. One study (Acheson et. al., 1982) in humans gave the subjects 500 grams of carbohydrates (2000 calories) all at once; conversion of carbs to fat was insignificant. The majority of research in humans has not found DNL to contribute significantly to fat gain except under a few very extreme conditions.

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